Before our time, the world was in a pre-Industrial Revolution phase, and we did not know any better. As we entered the Industrial Revolution, we left the agricultural fields of hand-picking crops for the factories, creating more jobs.

In my lifetime, I can still remember the slow pre-computer Revolution phase. As we entered the computer revolution, we eventually stopped doing some monotonous tasks that could be done faster/better/cheaper with computers. Even more jobs were created.

As I write this, most of the world is still in a mostly pre-artificial intelligence (AI) revolution phase (based on the worldwide adoption of AI). This has started to change in 2023 when we got a taste of useful, relevant AI technologies like:

• text-to-text (like ChatGPT)
• text-to-image (like Midjourney)
• text-to-video (like Synthesia)

AI user adoption

There are AI users and then there is everyone else. You determine your own inclusion.

AI users are creating, iterating, and learning by actually using the latest technologies. Many of these technologies are inexpensive to use and iterate their output if we push the bar higher than we ever could before.

Many people are still in the group of people still fearing, still waiting, still resisting, and still lacking understanding. They lack the understanding of:

• how is it relevant to us
• how is it relevant to what we do
• what is it
• what does it do
• how does it work
• safety and governance
• its user-friendliness and intuitiveness

All these things get answered as you learn to use the AI tools.

Should we fear AI?

The same group that fears AI also listens to fear-mongering stories that promote fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD) around us. The storytellers promote FUD because it attracts more eyeballs than positive stories; more eyeballs sell more ads, and more ads equals more money for their owners.

Is AI perfect? No. Neither are humans. If AI is too perfect, humans don’t like it because it is less human-like. And the vicious cycle continues.

Does AI need governance? Yes, it exists.

Digital media, as we still know it today, is what we can see and hear. This will evolve to include our other senses, such as touch, scent and taste. All electronically. Don’t believe me? You already have a mobile device that has haptics which does basic touch with vibrations.

At the beginning of 2022, I published my 9th book, Synthetic Media: The Next Reality, about machine-generating media. By the end of 2022, we had ChatGPT, which I use daily.

AI first

Ask the AI to do a task first. If AI can not do it within minutes after a few prompts, only then should you rely on people to do tasks that need to be done slower and less consistently.

Should we keep waiting?

We could wait to learn how to use AI instead of actually using these technologies now.

We could also choose to not use computers. We could ignore all devices (like some people still do).

We could ignore any motorized transportation.

We could do everything by hand. We could do this by candlelight for full effect.

We could resist change by ignoring it and hope it goes away. Again.

We could wait and devolve faster.

We could become less significant than we already are and continue to be okay with it.

We could ignore AI tools meant to aid us.

We could learn to use AI.

We can choose to wait for no one.

We can choose to not be laggards because we don’t need to wait to move forward with a crowd.

We can choose to embrace change for the better instead of resisting the inevitable.

We can choose to use AI to benefit me and my work.

What are you waiting for?

What do you choose to do with AI?